I don’t often struggle to write series previews. In fact, it’s often my favorite article to compile for Amazin’ Avenue. But I’m going to be honest, I’m struggling to even think about where to begin with this one. But here goes…after a truly horrific stretch of baseball, the New York Mets (34-47) welcome the division rival Philadelphia Phillies (45-36). The two teams squared off last weekend, with Philadelphia taking two out of three on their home turf, and the Mets will look to return the favor.

The Mets enter this series on a six-game skid, a losing streak which began against the Phillies and was exacerbated as the Mets endured a truly embarrassing sweep at the hands of the Cubs at Citi Field. The Mets ended up losing all seven games they played against the Cubs this year, including their three games at Wrigley Field in April.

Losing games is one thing, but these games were borderline noncompetitive, and each game had its own embarrassing component. After a Monday night rain out, the series kicked off in earnest on Tuesday with Kodai Senga putting the final nail in his own coffin by getting rocked once again. Senga, whose ERA now sits at 10.08 after seven starts, has found himself relegated to a bullpen role following his putrid season, but given his performance, you can excuse any Mets fan for being skeptical that this move will pay off.

Following their 9-6 loss on Tuesday, the team was swept in a double header on Wednesday. The winners of the day game (besides the Cubs) were the Norwegians, who captured the hearts and minds of New Yorkers everywhere. The losers, of course, were the Mets and Mets fans everywhere, who are subjected to watching this team. The Mets actually led 3-0 thanks to back-to-back homers from Jared Young and Francisco Alvarez, but the Cubs went on to score 10 unanswered runs. In the nightcap, the Mets’ infield made six (6!) errors en route to a 10-5 loss which was as demoralizing as it was deeply embarrassing.

The series concluded with the closest of the four matches, an extra innings loss on Thursday. The Mets were once again plagued by bad defense, which directly resulted in three unearned runs charged to Freddy Peralta’s final line. The first error came on a routine play that Ronny Mauricio, who was called up earlier that day, could not make, which kicked off a three-run inning for the Cubs. As Carlos Mendoza (now former manager of the Mets) said post game, the errors the team has been making, specifically the ones in this game, were extremely routine plays. Despite a two-run homer from Wagaman and another dinger from Young, the Mets fell in extra innings and ended up leaving a season-high 14 runners on base in the sweep-clinching defeat.

Dansby Swanson had a series for the ages against the Mets, driving in 15 home runs and hitting three homers across the four games. In fact, he was held hitless in the fourth game, so all of that offensive production came in the first three games. In the first game of the doubleheader alone, he hit two homers, including a grand slam, and drove in seven runs for Chicago, matching a career high.

On the bright side, Francisco Alvarez has begun to heat up offensively, hitting three homers in the series. He now has eight home runs and a .258/.326/.436 slash line on the season, with a 115 wRC+ and a 0.9 fWAR. Since returning from the IL on June 9, he’s hitting .294/.345/.529 with four homers and a 145 wRC+ in 14 games. At the very least, from the crop of youngsters that includes Ronny Mauricio, Mark Vientos, and Bretty Baty, Alvarez has at least provided you with something to feel good about, and he figures to be the only one from that group to factor into the future.

Any dreams of chasing a Wild Card spot have all but been dashed with this losing streak, as the vibes are literally lower than I can ever remember with this club. At the exact halfway point of the season, the Mets reside at 34-47, meaning that they’re on pace for 68 wins. If these trends continue, they would fail to win 70 games for the first time since the 2003 season, and it’s never a good thing to be compared to the Art Howe years. The Mets are currently 9.5 games back of the final playoff spot in the National League, but only two games ahead of the Rockies for the worst record in the league. They currently are tied for the sixth-worst record in baseball, which is important for MLB Draft Lottery odds, because if they snag a top-six spot of the MLB Draft order, they won’t be dropped ten spots due to the payroll penalty.

While David Stearns said he will evaluate the team’s situation with respect to them being buyers or sellers up until the August 3 deadline, the team has seemingly already made it known to the league that they are open for business with their first big move, which was moving on from long-time pitcher David Peterson. The club sent him across to the visitor’s clubhouse after Wednesday’s doubleheader sweep while acquiring an infield prospect in return. Peterson was a free agent so moving on made sense regardless of the team’s situation, but it does at least show that the club seems to be leaning towards the sellers route. With little left to play for on the field, all eyes will be fixated on the trade deadline as the Mets look to extract some value and build up their farm system to help build towards a (hopefully) better future.

And as we publish this article, the team announced “the departure of Carlos Mendoza”, meaning they will have yet another new manager. Andy Green will take over as the interim skipper for the remainder of the 2026 season. A lot more will be discussed about this in the coming days, you can be sure.

The Phillies are in a completely different spot from the Mets. They come in to this series as winners of seven of their last ten games and hold the top Wild Card spot in the National League, one game clear of the Cubs, who just walloped the Mets this week. After a really sluggish start, they are only four games behind the Braves for first place in the National League East. After firing their manager, Rob Thomson, following a 10-19 start, and inserting Don Mattingly into the interim role, Philadelphia is 35-17. After losing their first game to Washington in their recent four-game set, they won the last three, with each of them coming thanks to a ninth inning rally. In the two middle games, they were down to their final strike before erupting to steal the game from the Nats. Must be nice.

Friday, June 26: Zach Thornton vs. Zack Wheeler, 7:10 PM EDT on WPIX

Thornton (2026): 4.2 IP, 3 K, 2 BB, 1 HR, 8.31 ERA, 6.10 FIP, 207 ERA-

Thorton is making his second spot start for the Mets this season in place of the recently-departed David Peterson. In his one outing, he allowed four earned runs over 4 2/3 innings while striking out three and walking two against the Nationals on May 20, which resulted in a loss. In seven outings in Triple-A so far this season (including six starts), he owns a 4.80 ERA. He has struck out 29 and walked 14 across his 31 innings in Syracuse.

Wheeler (2026): 68.1 IP, 69 K, 18 BB, 8 HR, 2.11 ERA, 3.48 FIP, 50 ERA-

Wheeler’s last start came against the Mets on Sunday Night Baseball, and he picked up his seventh win of the 2026 campaign against just one loss. In that outing, he allowed two earned runs on four hits over 5 2/3 innings, and he struck out seven while walking three batters. In the month of June so far, he has three wins and has posted a 1.82 ERA and a 3.55 FIP in 24 2/3 innings. Opposing batters have managed just a .165 batting average and .559 OPS against him during this stretch, and he’ll look to finish the month off strong against his old club.

Saturday, June 27: Christian Scott vs. Alan Rangel, 7:10 PM EDT on SNY

Scott (2026): 40.2 IP, 47 K, 19 BB, 4 HR, 3.10 ERA, 3.84 FIP, 77 ERA-

This will be Scott’s first start in 15 days after he landed on the injured list with a right hip impingement. Perhaps the injury could help explain Scott’s trouble with the long ball in his last start, which came against the Cardinals on June 11 in a game the Mets eventually won. After surrendering just one home run across his first eight starts, he gave up three in the first two innings against the Cardinals, but was able to hold them at bay after that rough start. He ended up going 4 2/3 innings, allowing a season-high seven hits while striking out six and walking one. He did keep his streak of 18 starts allowing four runs or fewer to begin his major league career, which remains a Mets record. Scott has been the Mets’ best starter this year since making his return to the majors, leading the club with a 3.10 ERA.

Rangel (2026): 8.0 IP, 9 K, 0 BB, 1 HR, 2.25 ERA, 2.85 FIP, 53 ERA-

Rangel is a journeyman pitcher who made his major league debut with 11 innings across five outings for the Phillies last season. He signed as an international free agent in 2014 and bounced around from the Braves to the Angels to Philadelphia, where he finally got a chance at major league action. Saturday will mark his first major league start after making seven relief appearances over the past two season with the Phillies. He enters play having allowed two earned runs over eight innings pitched. His last time out, he pitched five innings and limited the Nationals to one run on five hits. He threw 72 pitches in that one (a career high in the majors), so he is probably in line to pitch between 70 and 80 pitches in this start.

Sunday, June 28: TBD vs. Jesús Luzardo, 1:40 PM EDT on SNY

TBD

The Mets could turn to Tobias Myers or a bullpen game on Sunday, unless they want to promote someone from the minors.

Luzardo (2026): 92.1 IP, 110 K, 30 BB, 9 HR, 4.39 ERA, 3.12 FIP, 104 ERA-

Luzardo has had a bit of an up-and-down year for Philadelphia, and June is a perfect encapsulation of his struggles. In two of his outings this month, he’s allowed five earned runs. In the other two, he’s allowed one earned run and two earned runs. In the latter, he matched his season high by going seven innings. Despite that, the club has won each of his last six starts and eight of his last ten. In his most recent outing, he settled for a no decision but did strike out a season-high 13 batters while allowing five earned runs on six hits over 6 2/3 innings against the Nationals. He is currently seventh among NL starting pitchers in innings pitched, and can be relied upon to give the team length, even when he is struggling.

Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (35-42) won 11-0 (BOX SCORE)

Sugar Land got on the board in the first inning scoring 2 runs on a Dezenzo RBI single and Ferreras RBI groundout. McCullers got a rehab start for Sugar Land and went 3 scoreless innings with 4 strikeouts. The offense got 2 more runs in the 7th on a Biggio RBI triple and Whitcomb RBI single. Sugar Land blew it open in the 8th scoring a run on a wild pitch, a Brooks grand slam, Cole walk and Spence walk. Hendrickson tossed 5 scoreless innings in relief and Fleury had a scoreless 9th to close out the 11-0 win.

Note: Biggio has a .858 OPS this season.

• Cavan Biggio, LF: 1-for-4, 2 R, 3B, RBI, BB, SB
• Shay Whitcomb, 3B: 1-for-3, R, RBI, 2 BB, SB
• Trenton Brooks, DH: 1-for-3, 2 R, HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB
• Zach Dezenzo, 1B: 1-for-4, R, RBI, BB
• Pascanel Ferreras, SS: 0-for-4, R, RBI, BB
• Zach Cole, RF: 0-for-2, R, RBI, 3 BB
• Lucas Spence, CF: 1-for-3, R, RBI, 2 BB
• Riley Unroe, 2B: 2-for-3, 2 R, 2B, 2 BB, SB

• Lance McCullers Jr., RHP: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
• Josh Hendrickson, LHP: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (WIN)
• Jose Fleury, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (33-39) lost 3-2 (BOX SCORE)

Blanco made a rehab start for the Hooks and went 3.1 scoreless innings with 2 strikeouts. The offense got on the board in the 6th inning on a Brutcher bases loaded walk. They got another run in the 8th inning on a Schiavone RBI single. Hertzler went 4 innings in relief allowing 1 run with 3 strikeouts. The Hooks took a 2-1 lead into the 9th but Swanson allowed 2 runs as Tulsa walked it off.

Note: Hertzler has a 2.03 ERA in Double-A.

• Jason Schiavone, C: 1-for-3, RBI, BB
• Drew Brutcher, RF: 1-for-3, 2B, RBI, BB
• Jax Biggers, 2B: 1-for-2, R

• Ronel Blanco, RHP: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
• Julio Rodriguez, RHP: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Cole Hertzler, RHP: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
• Nic Swanson, RHP: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

A+: Asheville Tourists (19-52) won 7-6 (BOX SCORE)

The Asheville offense got on the board in the first inning on a Powell groundout. They got 2 runs in the 2nd inning on a Daudet 2 run home run. Oakes started for Asheville and while he struck out 8 over 3.1 innings, he also allowed 4 runs. The offense got another run in the third on a double play and then 3 runs in the 4th on a Moss RBI double and Walker 2 run single. Cruz allowed 2 runs in relief but the rest of the pen was scoreless as they tossed 4.1 innings to close it out.

Note: Moss is hitting .353 in High-A.

• Kyle Walker, 2B: 3-for-5, 2 R, 3B, RBI, SB
• Caden Powell, LF: 0-for-4, RBI
• Cesar Hernandez, DH: 0-for-3, R, BB, SB
• Jack Moss, 1B: 2-for-3, 2 R, 2B, RBI
• Zach Daudet, 3B: 2-for-3, R, HR, 2 RBI

• Kellan Oakes, RHP: 3.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 8 K
• Anthony Cruz, RHP: 1.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• Raimy Rodriguez, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K (WIN)
• Bryce Collins, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Conor Steinbaugh, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K (SAVE)

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (36-35) won 5-1 (BOX SCORE)

The Woodpeckers got on the board in the first inning thanks to a Flores 2 run home run, his 10th home run of the season. Shoemaker started for the Woodpeckers and pitched well allowing 1 unearned run over 4.2 innings. The offense added a run in the third on a Luciano RBI double and another in the 4th on a Vasquez sac fly. The offense got another in the 8th on a Nigh RBI single. Weber tossed 3.1 scoreless in relief and Mathiesen closed the door with a scoreless 9th inning as the Woodpeckers won 5-1.

Note: Flores has a .836 OPS this season.

• Hector Salas, 2B: 0-for-2, R, 2 BB
• Arturo Flores, 1B: 2-for-3, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB
• Waner Luciano, RF: 1-for-4, 2B, RBI
• German Ramirez, SS: 2-for-4, R
• Kenni Gomez, LF: 1-for-4, R, SB
• Brandon Nigh, 3B: 2-for-2, RBI, 2 BB

• Adam Shoemaker, LHP: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
• Charlie Weber, RHP: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (WIN)
• Ryan Mathiesen, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: TBD – 7:05 CT

CC: TBD – 7:00 CT

AV: Parker Smith – 5:45 CT

FV: TBD – 6:05 CT

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I like the underdog Boston Red Sox to make it two out of two when they meet up with the New York Yankees tonight as +101 home underdogs.

They took the series opener last night and now see a pitcher who is both exploitable and familiar to them.

Here are my Yankees vs Red Sox predictions and MLB picks for Friday, June 26.

Who will win Yankees vs Red Sox today: Red Sox moneyline (+101)

Will Warren is a pitcher I've successfully faded all season, and there's reason to do the same here. I'd play the Boston Red Sox down to -108.

The issue with Warren has always been that when he's not getting strikeouts, his average hard-hit rate gets exploited by his high-velocity stuff. He also generates whiffs mostly in the zone, pairing a 24% strikeout rate with a bottom-30 percentile chase rate.

The more often you see him, the more success you have. Boston ranks fifth in MLB in doubles, gap-to-gap power that benefits from Fenway Park

COVERS INTEL:Payton Tolle posted a 39% whiff rate on his four-seamer between the majors and minors in 2025.

Yankees vs Red Sox Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-116)

I like the Over.

Payton Tolle has walked 10.8% of hitters across varied with a hard-hit rate over 38%. I expect him to be slightly better than his counterpart because of his strikeout stuff, but that doesn't mean it will come without any struggle.

A hard-hit issue against this New York Yankees lineup is a problem, even without Aaron Judge, as they've ranked in the top five of barrel rate and hard-hit rate league-wide all season. Play to 9.

Yankees vs Red Sox weather

Yankees vs Red Sox odds

• Moneyline: Yankees -105 | Red Sox +104
• Run line: Yankees -1.5 | Red Sox +1.5
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5

Yankees vs Red Sox trend

The Boston Red Sox have hit the 1st Five Innings (F5) Moneyline in 5 of their last 7 games (+4.25 Units / 48% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Yankees vs. Red Sox.

How to watch Yankees vs Red Sox and game info

Yankees vs Red Sox latest injuries

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Baseball scouts love bloodlines, and for good reason. Growing up around the game often provides a head start that can’t be taught, as Bobby Witt Jr. has demonstrated. Jacob Lombard is one of the top prospects for the MLB draft to be held on July 11 during All-Star Week, and he comes from one of baseball’s most accomplished families. He is the son of former major leaguer and current Tigers bench coach George Lombard and the younger brother of Yankees top prospect George Lombard Jr., but many evaluators believe the younger Lombard possesses even greater upside.

Jacob Lombard, SS, Gulliver Prep High School (FL)

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Draft rankings:

• The Athletic: #17
• Baseball America: #5
• ESPN: #8
• MLB Pipeline: #4
• Perfect Game: #5

Standing 6’3” with an outstanding blend of athleticism, speed, and power, Lombard has long been one of the most closely watched players in the 2026 draft class, earning attention on the showcase circuit since his early teens. Scouts consistently praise not only his physical gifts but also the polished instincts and baseball IQ that come from growing up around the game.

Lombard’s ceiling is driven by one of the loudest toolsets in the draft. Keith Law of The Athletic describes him as possessing “some of the best pure tools in the draft class,” highlighting his 70-grade speed, plus raw power, and the athleticism to remain at shortstop long term. Baseball America similarly notes that his profile is “littered with 60s,” calling him one of the best defensive shortstops in the class with graceful actions, excellent footwork, and the ability to become a plus defender. MLB Pipeline echoes those assessments, praising his outstanding range, hands, instincts, and speed while projecting him to stick at shortstop for years. All three outlets agree that if everything comes together offensively, Lombard has legitimate superstar potential.

The biggest question is whether his bat will fully develop to match his exceptional physical tools. While evaluators praise his quick bat speed, low-maintenance swing, and advanced approach, each publication also points to swing-and-miss concerns. Law notes that Lombard struck out on 39 percent of his swings during tracked showcase events in 2025, struggling particularly against sliders and premium velocity. Baseball America identifies his bat-to-ball skills as the biggest question in his profile despite solid pitch recognition, while MLB Pipeline notes he occasionally struggled with elevated fastballs. They also write he is a “people-pleaser”, which may make him more coachable, but they suggest he may have been guilty of making too many mechanical adjustments while trying to incorporate advice from various instructors on the showcase circuit.

If Lombard proves he can make enough consistent contact against elite pitching, there are few players in the class who can match his overall upside. His combination of size, speed, defensive ability, power potential, and baseball instincts has made him a consensus top-ten talent, with some evaluators believing he has the tools worthy of consideration near the very top of the draft. The risk is centered almost entirely on the hit tool, but the reward is a true five-tool shortstop capable of impacting the game in every facet.

Keith Law had a mock draft with the Royals taking Lombard at #6, writing that the Royals were “heaviest” on Lombard and Booth. Kiley McDaniel at ESPN writes that the Royals prefer Lombard over prep outfielder Eric Booth Jr. and pitcher Gio Rojas.

The Royals need more offense, regardless of position. By the time Lombard is ready for the big leagues, Bobby Witt Jr. will be able to opt out of his current contract – and even if the Royals bring him back, Lombard has the athleticism to move to another position. He is the kind of toolsy coachable kid the Royals tend to love, but the questions about his contact skills should give fans a bit of pause. The upside is high with Lombard, but the organization’s track record on developing good plate discipline is spotty, at best.

On the other hand, the last time the Royals selected a toolsy shortstop whose dad played in the big leagues, it worked out just great. But can Lombard be a generational player like Bobby Witt Jr. or another prep star that struggled to hit professional sliders?

The news broke last night that Cooper Ingle is getting the call for the Guardians.

Cleveland Guardians Prospective was the first I saw with the move on Twitter:

It will be interesting to see what move is made to get him on the 26-man. (To get him on the 40 seems easy enough with the various injuries the team has sustained). One would assume it is a Petey Halpin demotion. But, what if it isn’t? …A Gabriel Arias or a Stuart Fairchild being DFA’d? A shock David Fry demotion? An even more shocking Rhys Hoskins DFA?

I am sure it’ll be Halpin.

Meanwhile, Ingle has a 150 wRC+ with a 22/18 K/BB% in Columbus. I checked his Baseball Savant for performance against various fastballs – .464 wOBA/.418 xwOBA – breaking balls – .361 wOBA/.301 xwOBA – and offspeed – .349 wOBA/.333 xwOBA. He seems ready for a big league challenge. He also has a 1.112 OPS in Columbus and a .865 OPS on the road. The biggest issue with Ingle is that he hasn’t been able to hit LHP very well… but, hey, join the club here. He has a .611 OPS vs LHP this year and his career numbers are solidly in the mid 600’s range.

But he’s here, he’s real and he’s spectacular. Ingle was ranked the 7th best Guardians prospect by this site, 4th in the Guardians system by Baseball America, 3rd by MLB Pipeline, 10th by FanGraphs, 5th by ESPN and 7th by the Athletic.

Drafted as a catcher, recently, Ingle has seen a bunch of time in left field. It will be interesting to see if the team mostly abandons him catching or if he mixes in occasionally with Patrick Bailey and Austin Hedges. It certainly cannot hurt to have him hanging out with those two.

I applaud the Guardians for their aggression with promotions. Would have been nice to have Ingle in Chicago… but I should not complain. I am very excited to have tickets for his likely debut tonight. Bringing my 3 year-old daughter for Ingle and fireworks as the Mariners come to town. Now, if the rain will just hold off…

AROUND MLB:

The Royals and Tigers lost.

The Pope says he is following the White Sox’ season. Explains a lot tbh.

MLB and MLBPA are still exchanging CBA ideas and insults.

Good morning, LSB.

The Rangers held on for a win against the Blue Jays yesterday.

Shawn McFarland says the sluggers gave the pitchers just enough breathing room, for once.

Kennedi Landry writes about Joc Pederson’s 11-pitch at-bat which ended in the first of 3 Rangers homers.

Corey Seager returned to action after recovering from a concussion.

Evan Carter, meanwhile, is still working his way back from a strained oblique.

Elsewhere MLB Pipeline has another mock draft.

Evan Grant’s weekly Rangers stock report continues its troubling pattern.

And Kevin Sherrington says don’t expect Ray Davis to loosen the purse strings any time soon with a labor dispute on the horizon.

That’s all for this morning. The Rangers play the Blue Jays again tonight at 6:07 with Nathan Eovaldi on the mound for Texas.

Happy Friday!

Four games, four wins, three of them by no more than two runs. There was plenty of drama and excitement when the Dodgers’ minor league affiliates took the field on Thursday.

Player of the day

It’s a shame the Tower Buzzers offense didn’t show up early enough to help Brady Smith secure his first win of the season. Still, at least they didn’t waste the magnificent start from this right-hander, who has been an absolute strikeout machine for Ontario, with 81 punchouts in fewer than 50 innings of work, eventually winning the game 6-2.

Smith delivered, easily his best outing of the season, allowing just one hit in six masterful innings with no walks and 11 strikeouts. Prior to this game, four innings had been the longest performance from Smith this season.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

One hit and four RBI. Austin Gauthier made the most out of his third home run of the season by hitting a grand slam to help the Comets beat the Aces 9-8.

Oklahoma City had quite the scare in this game by allowing six unanswered runs in the sixth and seventh, but the offense had enough cushion to barely outlast the opposition. James Tibbs III had quite the game batting leadoff, reaching base four times with a pair of knocks and two walks.

While Charlie Barnes and subpar defense were responsible for keeping this one close, with the Comets starter having allowed seven of the Aces’ eight runs, three of them earned, the bullpen had little to no margin for error. Chayce McDermott recorded the most important out of the game by inducing a bases-loaded double play in the bottom of the seventh with no one out. Evan Phillips wrapped up that inning with a strikeout.

Double-A Tulsa

Through the game’s first five innings, neither team scored, and the only moment the Drillers led in this one was when Frank Rodríguez crossed the plate to walk things off, delivering Tulsa a 3-2 win at home, their 47th on the season.

Strong starting pitching with five one-hit innings from Christian Zazueta and timely home runs, one from Mike Sirota, whose on-base streak remains active, and another one from Kole Myers, proved to be enough offensively for the Drillers. Sirota is now at 61 games reaching base in a row.

High-A Great Lakes

For only the second time this season, left-hander Jakob Wright had a scoreless appearance, tossing 5.2 innings before handing it off to the bullpen en route to a 2-0 shutout win with the whole staff allowing just three hits. Wright now has a 4-3 record on the season.

While Eduardo Guerrero was the standout hitter for the Loons, securing three of the team’s seven hits, including a solo shot, the go-ahead hit came from Logan Wagner on an RBI single in the fifth. Wright got the win, but the Lugnuts starter deserves some praise—Samuel Dutton caught the short end of the stick, moving to a 1-5 record with his seven innings of one-run ball.

Single-A Ontario

Between the second and ninth innings, the Tower Buzzers scored a total of zero runs, but thanks to strong pitching, all they needed was that one in the first and another five in the tenth. Right-hander Brady Smith had one of the more dominant outings by a starter in the Dodgers minor league system this season, striking out 11 through six scoreless innings, allowing just one base runner.

The offensive outburst in the tenth to take control of what was then a 1-1 game came through the long ball. Ching-Hsien Ko hit his fourth home run in the last seven games, and Mairoshendrick Martinus also left the yard, securing his fourth hit of the game.

Transactions

Outfielder Kendall George was assigned from the Drillers to the Tower Buzzers, activated off the injured list, while starter Landon Knack began a rehab assignment with the Comets.

Thursday’s scores

• Reno 8, Oklahoma City 9
• Tulsa 3, Corpus Christi 2
• Lansing 0, Great Lakes 2
• Visalia 2, Ontario 6

Friday’s schedule

• 4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Sean Patick) at Lansing (Zane Taylor)
• 5:00 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Adam Serwinowski) vs. Corpus Christi (Cole Hertzler)
• 6:35 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Cole Irvin) at Reno (Brandon Pfaadt)
• 6:35 p.m. PT: Ontario (TBD) at Visalia (Chung-Hsiang Huang)

Happy Friday A’s Fans!

Today, the Athletics begin a three-game series against their American League West rival, the Los Angeles Angels. These two teams have matched up often over the past few weeks. Towards the end of May, the A’s won three of four in Los Angeles, capturing two victories in dramatic extra-inning games. Last weekend, the “Green and Gold” and the “Halos” split four games in West Sacramento, with the Angels winning the final two games of that series.

Yesterday, the A’s scored seven unanswered runs to rally past the San Francisco Giants, salvaging the final game of that three-game interleague series. Now, the team must carry that momentum into this weekend. They cannot afford to drop this series against the last-place Angels, especially with Mike Trout still on the injured list.

Right-handers J.T. Ginn, Jack Perkins and Aaron Civale will start for the A’s in their penultimate series against the Angels this season. In Ginn’s most recent outing at Angel Stadium, he came three outs shy of his first career no-hitter. Can he record another quality performance tonight in his second consecutive start against this team or will he take a step back?

From the other dugout, A’s hitters will face the Angels’ promising young right-hander Walbert Ureña and left-hander Reid Detmers in the first two games of the series. Los Angeles has not yet announced its starter for Sunday’s finale.

Backup catcher Jonah Heim has arguably been the A’s most clutch hitter over these past few weeks. Whenever he has batted in the ninth inning, he has delivered, recording huge hits to either tie the game or give the A’s the lead.

The organization’s savvy move to trade for him and then retain him instead of fellow backstop Austin Wynns has paid dividends. Look for Heim to continue receiving opportunities in big late-game situations, as he has come through more often than not.

Additionally, center fielder Henry Bolte appears to have emerged as the solution to the A’s center field and leadoff spot concerns. While his defense in center field is not too much of a drop off from Denzel Clarke’s, his combination of speed and power gives him greater offensive upside and makes him a natural fit atop the lineup in front of Shea Langeliers and Nick Kurtz.

Will Bolte and Heim continue to contribute this weekend, or will another unexpected A’s player rise to the occasion?

A’s Coverage:

• A’s Avoid Sweep With Late Comeback Versus Giants
• It’s Harder To Win When You Don’t Understand Your Own Personnel
• A’s Suffer Heartbreaking Defeat Against Giants
• Fun Parallels To 2012 Emerging
• Robbie Ray Stymies A’s as Giants Take Game No. 1
• A’s roster moves: Gelof to IL, Williams recalled
• A’s Squander Chances, Fall to Pirates in Series Equalizer
• As a ballpark rises in Las Vegas, owner John Fisher is pitching his A’s — and himself
• What’s next for the Oakland Coliseum? The future is ‘not bright’
• Alvarado’s return so dominant, he’s inviting a lofty comparison
• Why Front Office And Manager Should Be Embarrassed By Today’s Game
• Some Easy Fixes Rocket Science Aren’t
• Athletics’ Devin Taylor Emerges As All-Around Talent
• From celebratory pool dip to the A’s, Meneses’ journey back to Majors a memorable one
• Athletics Could Deal Hottest Triple-A Bat This Summer
• Status Report: Uncertainty Persists In 5 Places On The Diamond

MLB News and Interest:

• Phase 1 results are in! Here are the finalists to start All-Star Game
• Clement earns most votes in AL, to start at 2B in first All-Star Game
• MLB’s latest CBA proposal includes minimum salary increase, free agency revisions
• MLB owners’ proposal to reshape path to pros runs counter to growing the game
• More than 100 MLB players ranked the best and worst organizations: Inside our anonymous poll
• Cubs rotation takes 2 more blows as Cabrera, Brown hit IL
• 3 key reasons Peterson should improve after trade to Cubs
• Yanks to put McMahon on IL, but Oswaldo set for return (report)
• The team that invented openers very nearly got a no-hitter out of one
• Diamondbacks Designate Carlos Santana For Assignment
• Marlins improve to MLB-best 16-5 in June in Eury’s return
• Twins GM says club has ‘no plans’ to trade OF Byron Buxton
• Mets move scuffling Kodai Senga to bullpen after loss
• Cardinals elevate Bill DeWitt to chief executive officer
• Braves Designate Carlos Carrasco For Assignment, Select Ian Hamilton
• Cy Young poll: New leader in loaded NL race; AL favorite solidifies standing
• Cubs’ Craig Counsell perplexed by rainout, irked by ‘bad rule’
• Stearns says there’s still time for Mets to contend this season
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

This situation appears unlikely to end anytime soon. Unless Major League Baseball and the players’ union reach a compromise, the league seems headed toward a lockout on December 1st.

Somehow, the A’s bullpen is not the worst in the majors.

Unfortunate injury news for one of the A’s top minor-league prospects.

Congrats to A’s trainer Jeff Collins on being selected to work the All-Star Game. This is an incredible opportunity and a well-deserved honor.